My Hunch on What Really Happened in 1820

Last time I gave an abbreviated version of Mormon church history. Today I will explain what I think happened almost 200 years ago. Sometimes, when I read or write, I think of a voice in my head to narrate. My favorites are Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Reba McIntire, and the Lucky Charms Guy. No, I don't really have voices in my head, it just makes things more interesting. Today, it's a nondescript random black guy with a slight southern accent. Maybe a lawyer. Yes, I'm pretty much ADD.

I submit to you 3 possible theories that could have happened on that fateful day back in the early 1800's.

1. He made it all up. It never happened.

2. We know that Joseph Sr. was very much involved in the occult. He was often away from the family treasure hunting. Sometimes Joey would join him, other times not. What boy, growing up, does not crave his daddy's attention? I believe that it is entirely possible that Joey went out into the woods on his own to look for treasure, to be like dad, and to compete or capture a part of his dad's heart that he felt he could not compete with.

(Switch to my voice.) I think that growing up as a child of an alcoholic allows me to speak to this. I have all sorts of co dependent tendencies, (anyone remember that term from the 90's?) My dad was a drunk. My parents divorced when I was 8, and my dad remarried 2 times in 2 years. On the weekends, it didn't matter with which new step family's home I was at, he was almost never there. If he was, he was sitting in front of the television, drinking himself asleep with a butt dangling between his fingers. (good times.) After his 3rd divorce, he took off and I had no idea where he went for 3 years. I didn't know if he was dead or alive. When he finally did drop back into my life, I was 13. At 15, my mom decided it would be ok for me to fly to the mid west and visit him on school break. I did, and not much had changed in those years. I got to know another family, as he had married for a fourth time. But he was absent most of the time for those 2 weeks. I promised myself then, that I would not return to see him until I was old enough to sit beside him, at a bar, order a drink and light up in front of him-something I had been told by him to never do, when I was a child. That opportunity came years later. Unknown to him, I flew out to Iowa and rented a car and drove to Dixon, Illinois. Arriving in town, went to a gas station, found out there were 4 watering 'holes' in town and eventually found him. I sat down on a stool next to him, ordered a Jack and Coke, lit the butt, turn to him and said, "Hi Dad.." Good thing heart problems were not one of his health issues. That whole adventure was far less satisfying than I had built up and imagined for 7 years.

My point is that kids will go to great lengths to get their parents attention. Good or bad attention. It really doesn't matter. We just want to be acknowledge.

(Back to the black lawyer man's voice) I think that Joey did go into the woods, with a great deal on his mind. There was unrest amongst the differing denominations, and they had just recently moved to NY. His dad was more interested in finding treasure than actually working to provide for his family. He may have fallen asleep, so maybe his 'vision' was actually a dream.

(My voice) Have you ever had a weird dream? Where you wake up and are like, what is that all about? Your sub conscience has together jumbled, all the current events in your life, and you end up with a really weird dream. Sometimes you wake up and think did that just happen?

(Black man's voice) I think he had a dream. I think that he went back to his mom and dad and told them of this. And I think his dream, became a vision, became legend, and over the next few years became a new 'gospel'.

3. Or, it is entirely possible, if you acknowledge the spirit world that the said 'vision' was not from the Divine God, but from the fallen angel, the master of deception, father of lies. It wouldn't be the first time he showed up as someone other than his true form, to lie and deceive someone. The Smith family was known to have dabbled in the occult with 'seer stone divination', divining rods, and talismans in searching for treasures. That alone could provide an invite to the Prince of Darkness.

(Me) Regardless if any of my theories have any truth to them or not, what is true is that Joey was Not visited by God the Father and Jesus....Just Saying. How do I know this? That's next.